Seoul, Korea (AP) – Lee Jae-myung, once a child laborer with an arm deformity, faced numerous challenges—including a suicide attempt. He later graduated from college, survived stabbing attacks, and emerged as a polarizing politician embroiled in multiple criminal charges. At 60, Lee has reached a pivotal moment in his life, being named a major liberal candidate from the Democrats and securing the position of South Korea’s new president, taking on the conservative challenger Yoon Suk Yeol, who faced exile after the unexpected declaration of martial law.
Lee’s victory has sparked both optimism and apprehension. Supporters view him as a capable leader who can address the country’s severe economic inequality and corruption. Critics, however, are concerned that he may undermine his political opponents and strengthen domestic control.
His term as President for 5 years begins on Wednesday:
Poverty in Childhood
After finishing primary school, Lee was compelled to work in various factories in Seongnam, a city near Seoul, as his family could not afford his secondary education.
While manufacturing baseball gloves, he severely injured his left forearm in a press machine, resulting in permanent damage. Lee has spoken of his suffering and discomfort with interactions in his local community, especially after assisting his father in garbage collection at a traditional market.
Despair led him to attempt suicide twice, both times unsuccessfully. However, he later regained his footing, enrolling at Jeonggan University in Seoul on a full scholarship and ultimately becoming a human rights lawyer.
“Hope and trials are inseparable. Trials serve not to force surrender but to test the depth of one’s hope,” he wrote in his 2017 memoir.
Liberal Firebrand
Lee transitioned into politics, serving as mayor and governor of Gyeonggi Province. He burst onto the national stage in 2016 with impassioned street speeches, particularly after the impeachment of President Park Gun-hye due to a corruption scandal.
“Let’s take history into our own hands,” Lee declared at a rally in December 2016.
Since then, his remarks have garnered both admiration and criticism across the political spectrum.
Lee accused South Korea’s conservative establishment of being “fake conservatives,” criticized the US Missile Defense System in Korea for escalating tensions, and compared it to American Bonds established in the 1905 Washington-Tokyo Agreement, claiming it facilitated Japan’s colonization of Korea.
His proposal for universal basic income has drawn charges of populism.
In 2022, he lost a contentious presidential election to Yoon. In 2024, he faced an attack from a man who told authorities he wanted to kill Lee to prevent his presidential candidacy.
South Korean Democratic presidential candidate Lee Jae-Mun, Center, his wife Kim Hae-Kyung, right, non-Parliamentary supporters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
Foreign Policy Challenges
Recently, Lee has refrained from making bold statements or fundamental critiques regarding foreign policy and security matters. Instead, he has committed to pursuing pragmatic diplomacy.
He consistently underscores the significance of the Alliance with the United States as a cornerstone of the country’s foreign policy, highlighting the necessity of maintaining a trilateral security partnership among Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.
“As to what Lee has said in the past, it’s unclear whether he was trying to sway his supporters or if those statements reflected his genuine beliefs,” commented Shin Yul, a political professor at Myongji University in Seoul.
One of the pressing challenges Lee faces is the US President Donald Trump’s Trade War and other “America First” policies, along with North Korea’s advancements in its nuclear program. While these matters are crucial for South Korea, experts suggest that there is limited diplomatic leverage for the country to incite significant changes regarding either issue.
Pike Wuil, a professor at Yongpai University in Seoul, noted that Trump’s influence is “overwhelming and dominant,” asserting that dealing with the US isn’t significantly different for any South Korean leader. He argued that Lee’s foreign policy advisor would understand North Korea will not willingly relinquish its nuclear arsenal.
Legal Quandaries
Lee begins his presidency under the looming shadow of legal troubles.
He is embroiled in five ongoing trials related to corruption and other allegations, with some of these legal disputes previously jeopardizing his presidential aspirations.
In March, Lee celebrated when the Seoul High Court overturned his suspended prison sentence for breaches of election laws during the 2022 campaign. However, he expressed frustration when the Supreme Court subsequently reversed this ruling in May, sending the case back to the High Court, citing potential guilt. The upcoming High Court hearing has been delayed until after the election.
If convicted, Lee would be barred from holding presidential office.
Other cases against him revolve around his involvement in dubious development projects, including illicit remittances to North Korea, unlawful use of official funds, and coercion of witnesses to commit perjury.
Lee’s five trials could be stalled since the South Korean constitution often protects sitting presidents from prosecution for most offenses. This creates a dilemma for his rivals; the Constitution is unclear on whether a president can be prosecuted for crimes committed before taking office.
Lee’s Democratic Party, holding a majority in the National Assembly, seeks amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to suspend ongoing criminal trials involving the sitting president until the end of their term. This proposal has faced strong opposition from conservatives.
National Divide
During his campaign, Lee promised not to seek revenge against conservatives. However, he is now calling for an in-depth investigation into Yoon and his associates regarding rebellion allegations.
Yoon’s opponents fear such investigations could be wielded to undermine Yoon’s allies and initiate inquiries into their criminal matters.
Yoon’s martial law initiatives have heightened domestic disparities.
The declaration of martial law has led Yoon to characterize Lee’s party as an “anti-state” faction influenced by North Korea and China, and he has propagated baseless election fraud theories. Yoon urged his dissatisfied supporters to take to the streets with signs reading “stop the theft.” Meanwhile, anti-Yoon activists rallied for several weeks demanding his immediate dismissal.
With the liberals maintaining control of Congress, Lee finds himself with a more favorable environment to pursue his legislative agenda. However, conservatives remain concerned that Lee and his fellow Democrats will possess substantial unchecked powers to pass legislation that was previously obstructed by the Yoon administration, such as measures to enhance protections for union members against corporate litigation and safeguard farmers from fluctuating rice prices.
Source: apnews.com